About this Program
- College: Agricultural and Life Sciences
- Degree: Bachelor of Science
- Specializations: Agricultural Education | Communication and Leadership Development
- Credits for Degree: 120
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.
Department Information
The UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication is a group of faculty, staff and students committed to connecting people with agriculture through agricultural communication, education, leadership development and Extension education.
More Info
CONTACT
Email | 352.392.0502
P.O. BOX 110540
305 ROLFS HALL
341 Buckman Drive
GAINESVILLE FL 32611-0540
Map
Curriculum
SPECIALIZATIONS
Two specializations are offered: Agricultural Education and Communication and Leadership Development. Each requires core technical agriculture courses and preprofessional education. Department advisors help students in selecting appropriate electives.
Agricultural Education
With a focus on disseminating scientific knowledge, agricultural education and communication professionals empower communities to gain a balanced understanding of food systems, natural resources, and related sciences. Agricultural Education and Communication students supplement core technical agriculture courses with teaching, leadership, or media experiences.
Communication and Leadership Development
With a focus on disseminating scientific knowledge, agricultural education and communication professionals empower communities to gain a balanced understanding of food systems, natural resources, and related sciences. Agricultural Education and Communication students supplement core technical agriculture courses with teaching, leadership, or media experiences.
Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
- Complete 2 of 4 critical-tracking courses, excluding labs: AEC 3030C (or equivalent), BSC 2005, BSC 2005L (or any GE-B or P laboratory), EDF 3110 (or equivalent) and MAC 1140 (or equivalent)
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.5 UF GPA required
Semester 2
- Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.5 UF GPA required
Semester 3
- Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.5 UF GPA required
Semester 4
- Complete all lower division critical-tracking courses, including labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 5
- Complete one of the remaining upper division critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 upper division GPA required
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 6
- Complete two of the remaining upper division critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 upper division GPA required
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 7
- Complete three of the remaining upper division critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 upper division GPA required
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 8
- Complete all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 upper division GPA required
- 2.0 UF GPA required
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.
This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.
| Semester One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Select one: | 3-4 | |
| Economic Issues, Food and You (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| Principles of Food and Resource Economics (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| BSC 2005 | Biological Sciences (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences) | 3 |
| Select one: | 1 | |
| Laboratory in Biological Sciences (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences) | ||
Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences (Critical Tracking; Laboratory) | ||
| Select one: | 3 | |
| Human Growth and Development (Critical Tracking) | ||
| The Young Child (Critical Tracking) | ||
| The Young Adolescent (Critical Tracking) | ||
| The Adolescent (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| Educational Psychology (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | ||
| State Core Gen Ed Composition | 3 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) | 3 | |
| MAC 1140 | Precalculus Algebra (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) | 3 |
| State Core Gen Ed Humanities | 3 | |
| Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Three | ||
| AEC 3030C | Effective Oral Communication (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| EDF 2085 | Teaching Diverse Populations | 3 |
| RED 3312 | Content Area Literacy | 3 |
| Gen Ed Composition | 3 | |
| STA 2023 | Introduction to Statistics 1 (recommended; Gen Ed Mathematics) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Four | ||
| Quest 2 (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) | 3 | |
| AEC 3033C | Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Writing Requirement) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Gen Ed Humanities | 3 | |
| State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Five | ||
| AEB 3133 | Principles of Agribusiness Management | 3 |
| AEC 4323 | Development and Philosophy of Agricultural Education (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| AEC 4504 | Curriculum and Program Planning for Agricultural Education (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| ANS 3006 & 3006L | Introduction to Animal Science and Introduction to Animal Science Laboratory | 4 |
| TSL 4324 | ESOL Strategies for Content Area Teachers | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Six | ||
| AEC 4202 | Curriculum Development and Assessment Techniques in Emerging Agricultural Technologies (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| AEC 4228 | Laboratory Practices in Teaching Agricultural Education (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| SWS 3022 & 3022L | Introduction to Soils in the Environment and Introduction to Soils in the Environment Laboratory | 4 |
| Agricultural or life sciences elective | 3 | |
| Horticulture or plant science elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Seven | ||
| AEC 4200 | Teaching Methods in Agricultural Education (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| Select one: | 3 | |
| Principles of Entomology | ||
| Fundamentals of Pest Management | ||
| Life Science | ||
| Insect Classification | ||
| AOM 3220 | Agricultural Construction and Maintenance | 3 |
| Agricultural or life sciences electives | 7 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Eight | ||
| AEC 4224 | Special Methods in Teaching Agricultural Education (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| AEC 4942 | Agricultural Education Internship (Critical Tracking) | 9 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Total agricultural or life sciences courses required: 30 credits in at least four areas.
Students will learn the knowledge and skills needed to educate individuals, enhance leadership in communities and organizations and communicate ideas and issues to different audiences. Through formal courses and internship experiences, students will learn to apply principles of communication and educational theory to work-based settings; to create, interpret and analyze written and oral messages and multimedia presentations used in agricultural and life sciences; and to educate and communicate agricultural issues effectively to various audiences.
Before Graduating Students Must
- Agricultural Education specialization: Achieve a passing grade on the state of Florida's Professional Knowledge Exam for teacher certification.
- Communication and Leadership Development specialization: Achieve a minimum grade of C in AEC 4052, the communication and leadership development capstone experience, as evaluated by a committee of faculty.
- Achieve minimum grades of C in AEC 3030C and AEC 3033C.
- Achieve a minimum grade of C in a department internship course (AEC 4942, AEC 4943, AEC 4944 or AEC 4948) or a capstone experience course (AEC 4052).
- Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.
Students Will Learn to
Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs
Content
- Describe, explain, and apply fundamental pedagogical concepts, skills and processes.
- Describe, explain, and apply fundamental concepts, skills and processes in technical agriculture.
Critical Thinking
- Analyze and apply data from multiple assessments and measures to diagnose students’ learning needs, inform instruction based on those needs, and drive the learning process.
- Critique and assess data-informed research to improve instruction and student achievement.
Communication
- Demonstrate written communication forms in a manner appropriate in Agricultural Education.
- Develop oral communication presentations in a manner appropriate in Agricultural Education.
Curriculum Map
I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed
| Courses | SLO 1 | SLO 2 | SLO 3 | SLO 4 | SLO 5 | SLO 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEC 3030C | I, R, A | |||||
| AEC 3033C | I, R, A | |||||
| AEC 3323 | I, R | |||||
| AEC 4200 | I, R | I, R, A | ||||
| AEC 4202 | I, R | I, R, A | R | |||
| AEC 4224 | I, R | R | ||||
| AEC 4228 | I, R | R | ||||
| AEC 4942 | R | R | R | R | ||
| Fla DoE Agriculture Subject Matter Exam | A | |||||
| Fla DoE Professional Certification Exam | A | |||||
| Self-Assessment | A | A | A | A | ||
| Technical Agriculture Coursework | I, R |
Assessment Types
- Technical agriculture coursework
- Clinical teaching and community profile assignments
- Exams
- Self-assessment
- Florida Department of Education professional teaching certification exam
- Florida Department of Education Agriculture Subject Matter exam